Presence refers to a user's ability and/or willingness to participate in communications. Presence information, referred to as presence status or presence state, provides an indication of presence. Some types of messaging applications integrate presence status within the messaging environment. For example, instant messaging (IM) applications typically provide the presence status of the user's contacts or “buddies”. However, presence status is not integrated in other types of messaging applications, or is not integrated effectively. For example, email messaging applications typically do not integrate presence status.
While some messaging applications have made presence status accessible to messaging servers, the presence information available to messaging servers and mobile communication devices communicating with such messaging servers has been limited in terms of integration and accessibility. For instance, a device user is typically not provided with the presence status of the recipient of the new electronic message during the composition of that message. Thus, there remains a need for presence systems which integrate presence status to a greater extent and in a more seamlessly manner.
Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.